Monday, June 15, 2009

The Great Pea Experiment

After several years of failure with peas, as mentioned in my last post, I've decided to try a proper experiment.

I have planted a 2m strip with peas -- and with slightly more thought than usual. Peas don't like well-manured soil, so I've made sure to plant them in an area which has not been used recently by the chooks -- it's probably had about 6-8 weeks lying fallow, and two weeks of rain. Half the drill was sprinkled with lime immediately before planting, and half was not. Normally, I would lime the beds on the surface.

I am wondering if the lime will prevent the peas being eaten by the little creatures I usually find eating them, or if something else is going wrong.

5 comments:

Amanda said...

Hmm - now peas are something that I've never had a problem with. It will be interesting to see what your experiment reveals.

Jamie said...

I'm trying peas here too, Chookie, and from what I've read about them I'm laying on the lime like nobody's business (especially as my soil is a bit acid).
Peas also get mildew easily, so get onto the milk spray early if they start to look iffy (so I've been told).
So far progress has been slow with mine, so I'll be interested to see how things go with your experiment, too. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

This is what I love to hear about- experiments! I'll be excited to hear how it all goes!

peppylady (Dora) said...

I'm over form Rhonda blog (down to earth)
Peas does fairly well for us. I don't know if it soil or the climate.
Or combo of both.
But I have trouble growing cucumber if I get two cucumber off a bush I have bumper crop.

I real like getting my hands in the soil.
Coffee is on.

Chookie said...

Well, nothing's up yet, and it has been rainy and cold in Sydney. I am hoping this means the peas are slow to germinate, rather than that they're rotting!

Yes Jamie, we Sydney gardeners do need some lime in our soils as they tend to the acidic. I don't know why, but my Dad never had much trouble with mildew -- perhaps you are closer to the sea and are more prone to it, due to moister air?